Basket.jo conquering Jordan in partnership with Carrefour
Basket.jo, the leading on-demand delivery retail application in Jordan, has announced the advancement of its partnership and collaboration agreements with Carrefour Jordan, joining forces with four Carrefour branches, it aims to further enhance customer experience. Earlier this year, Basket.jo started covering the flagship hypermarket store of Carrefour Jordan “Carrefour City Mall” and fulfilled a unique customer experience. Instead of picking up goods from one Carrefour store, the application is now listing a total of five different Carrefour stores in the Kingdom, which will ultimately lower delivery costs and enhance the delivery process. Through cheaper, faster deliveries, Basket.jo is made more convenient and reliable to its consumers by ensuring their orders arrive in a timely and efficient manner. Furthermore, the expansion paves the way for future collaborations as the company aims to add 10 more Carrefour stores, having a total of 15 stores by the end of this year.
Source: zawya.com
UK: Second quarter trading statement by Sainsbury’s for the 12 weeks to 21 September 2019 
Sainsbury’s reported it's second quarter trading statement: Stronger trading across grocery, general merchandise and clothing; Further improvement in performance relative to the market, particularly grocery. Second quarter total retail sales up 0.1% (excl. fuel), with like-for-like sales down 0.2% (excl. fuel). Grocery sales increased by 0.6%. General merchandise sales declined by 2.0% and clothing sales increased by 3.3%.
Source: sainsburys.co.uk
The clean dozen: 12 Tesco Ireland suppliers pledge to cut food waste
Twelve major own-label suppliers of Tesco Ireland have pledged to substantially cut food waste, as part of a scheme run by the retailer to halve its food waste by 2030 in line with United Nations targets. The dozen companies have pledged to measure their food waste and publish the data regularly, beginning next year. They have also committed to adopt measures to reduce wastage, as part of Tesco’s promise to implement its own 50% cut. Tesco has adopted UN sustainable development goal 12.3, which calls for a reduction by half in farm-to-fork food waste over the next decade.
Source: irishtimes.com
China: Alibaba and Starbucks launch voice ordering
Alibaba and Starbucks announced their collaboration to launch voice ordering in China, bringing digital customer engagement to a new high level. Customers in China now can order Starbucks at comfort of their home through Alibaba’s voice-activated smart speaker, Tmall Genie. Orders will be delivered by Alibaba’s food delivery platform Ele.me within a 30-minute window. The service also has the following key features: Real time tracking: customers can track delivery status of their orders in real time; Loyalty reward: Tmall Genie speakers are connected to shoppers’ Starbucks membership accounts and will automatically add loyalty points (Star reward) to shoppers’ accounts with every purchase; Personalisation: shoppers will also receive personalised recommendations based on their previous orders and trending items from Starbucks’ seasonal menu.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
Ukraine: Novus invests UAH161mln in opening of largest store of chain
Novus Ukraine LLC (Kyiv), the managing company of the Novus hypermarket and supermarket chain and Novus Express proximity stores chain in Ukraine, on September 21 officially opened the largest supermarket of the chain in the Sky Mall. “We entered this facility at the beginning of summer, that is, construction took about three and a half months. Investments totaled UAH161mln (USD6,6mln). This is the largest outlet in the network, which contains the largest production facilities, the widest range of shelves and the largest online shop that will service two large areas - Troyeschyna and Obolon”, Director General of Novus Ukraine LLC Mark Petkevich said at a press conference on the grand opening of the store on Saturday. The store became the 28th Novus store in Kyiv and the 36th in Kyiv region. The supermarket’s range of goods includes 50,000 items of goods, including 5,000 items of own import.
Source: open4business.com.ua
Thailand: Major stores to stop giving out plastic bags by 2020: minister
Retailers and convenience stores in Thailand have pledged to stop giving plastic bags to customers from next year in a bid to reduce plastic waste, the country’s environment minister said. Major operators will stop providing single-use plastic bags, starting January 2020, after signing up to a government program, Varawut Silpa-archa, the natural resources and environment minister, wrote on his Facebook page. Varawut said “43 department stores and convenience stores around the country have joined the program to stop handing out plastic bags”, urging the public to use alternatives, such as cloth bags, for shopping. Companies in the program include CPALL Pcl, which operates more than 10,000 7-Eleven convenience stores in Thailand, and the country’s largest retailer, Central Group.
Source: reuters.com
Holland: Ahold Delhaize increases commitment to slash food waste in half by 2030
Ahold Delhaize announced it will extend its commitment to cut food waste in its brands’ operations. The reduction is in line with the global goal of reducing food waste by 50% by 2030. It will also initiate partnerships with its suppliers to further reduce food waste. This new target further builds on their 2016 commitment to reduce food waste by 20% by 2020. Supporting this commitment, Ahold Delhaize has joined the World Resources Institute’s ‘10x20x30’ initiative, which brings together 10 global food retailers that will each engage with 20 of their priority suppliers to halve their rates of food loss and waste by 2030. Ahold Delhaize is a founding partner of the initiative, which was launched during Climate Week in New York. With this commitment Ahold Delhaize fully supports the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 12.3.
Source: aholddelhaize.com
US: Fairway Market invites shoppers to ‘Eat Like A Greek’
Fairway Market has teamed with Greek specialty food-sourcing company Olive Roots to bring to the grocer’s stores authentic Mediterranean products from Greece and Cyprus. To mark the occasion, Fairway will host Eat Like A Greek, a three-week in-store promotion running September 27 - October 17, which will showcase artisan brands and present producers who will be on hand for conversation and sampling of exclusive products. “At Fairway Market, we pride ourselves on providing not only locally made regional delicacies, but also gourmet items from around the world”, noted Abel Porter, CEO of New York-based Fairway, which, according to news reports, is up for sale for the second time in three years. “Eat Like A Greek will allow our customers to experience and taste healthy, flavorful and authentic Greek artisanal food straight from this region.”
Source: progressivegrocer.com
Canada: Metro starts construction on Ontario distribution facilities
Metro has started construction on its semi-automated fresh distribution centre in Etobicoke, Ontario, part of a larger expansion effort that will also include a new frozen foods facility on the same site. The $400mln modernization plan will be completed in two phases so the existing centre can continue to operate throughout the build. Construction is expected to last through 2023. The company says the renovations will enable it to continue its growth and expansion in the province.
Source: canadiangrocer.com
US: CEO led Hawaii grocery chain KTA Super Stores
A longtime leader of the more than century-old Kamaaina family supermarket chain KTA Super Stores on Hawaii island has died. Barry Taniguchi, chairman and CEO of the seven-store chain, died Friday from complications of a sudden medical issue. He was 72. Taniguchi represented the third generation leading the family business and is also remembered for being a champion of local community causes, including education and a homegrown food supply.
Source: staradvertiser.com
US: ALDI recognized as an industry leader in sustainable refrigeration
ALDI announced it received a 2018 Store Certification Excellence award from the Environmental Protection Agency's GreenChill Partnership for its leadership as the grocery retailer with the most GreenChill store certifications in the past year. The EPA's GreenChill Partnership helps supermarkets make the shift to environmentally friendlier refrigerants, reduce harmful refrigerant emissions and adopt greener refrigeration technologies and environmental best practices. Since receiving its first GreenChill certification in 2015, ALDI has worked alongside the GreenChill Partnership to reduce refrigerant emissions to decrease its impact on the ozone layer and climate change. ALDI is proud to have GreenChill-certified stores across the country, with 238 certifications and re-certifications through June 2019. The store locations received Platinum ratings, the highest level of achievement.
Source: prnewswire.com
Amazon buys cloud startup INLT to help merchants import goods
Amazon.com Inc has bought technology startup INLT for an undisclosed amount, the company told Reuters, in a transaction that will help merchants on its online marketplace more easily import goods into the United States. The firm, with around a dozen employees based in Los Angeles and Philadelphia, makes software for sellers to manage costs and customs clearance of cross-border shipments. Seattle-based Amazon said it will offer INLT’s cloud-based computing technology to its merchants. “INLT is a smart, nimble team that is helping companies simplify and lower the cost of importing goods into the U.S.”, an Amazon spokeswoman said in a statement. “We’re excited to work with them to develop the next generation of solutions for their customers and Amazon selling partners.”
Source: reuters.com
US: Publix announces first-ever store in Nashville, Tennessee
Publix has been opening more and more markets recently, expanding in Virginia and Florida and establishing a firmer hold over on the East Coast. Now, the retailer is focusing in on a densely-packed urban region, opening its first store in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, set to open on October 2 at the Capitol View development. “We are proud to be a part of the new Capitol View mixed-use development in downtown Nashville”, said Brenda Reid, Media and Community Relations Manager for the Publix Atlanta division. “We look forward to serving our new customers and becoming an integral part of the town and surrounding communities.”
Source: delimarketnews.com
US: Union calls for boycott of Fred Meyer stores in southwest Washington over wage negotiations
The union representing workers at Fred Meyer grocery stores is asking for shoppers to boycott the chain amid ongoing negotiation over worker pay and a new labor contract. This comes after over 15 months of negotiations, a press release from UCFW Local 555, the union representing food and commercial workers, said. "If Fred Meyer won't listen to workers' voices, perhaps they will listen to the sound of departments devoid of shoppers", said Jeff Anderson, secretary-treasurer of Local 555.
Source: kiro7.com
Introducing Move: A members-only, online US supermarket
Move, a digital supermarket, is now available to the public. For the first time, customers can buy a membership to Move, locking in the lowest annual membership fee for life. Move works with America's best artisans to make daily staples and ships them direct-to-consumer. By taking out the middleman, Move is able to make the country's best groceries at radically fair prices.
Source: prnewswire.com
US: 6 River Systems and Soft Robotics announce strategic partnership
6 River Systems, Inc. (6RS) and Soft Robotics announced a strategic partnership to deliver an automated picking solution for e-commerce and retail warehouses. The solution combines 6 River Systems’ automated collaborative mobile robot, Chuck, with Soft Robotics’ disruptive, full stack bin picking and order fulfillment solution, SuperPick. With Chuck’s ease of implementation and SuperPick’s ability to handle the largest range of SKUs without the need for prior robot training, the fully integrated system is the first commercially available end-to-end mobile picking solution.
Source: businesswire.com